


another dream

by joydecoy



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Magical Realism, jeonghan's a witch and wonwoo's an incubus/siren what's new, teen rating is for one(1) dick joke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 06:06:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16550369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joydecoy/pseuds/joydecoy
Summary: Under optimal (read: disastrous) conditions, Wonwoo doesn’t sleep talk, he sleep-sings instead. Trust Mingyu to accidentally listen to said sleep-singing, accidentally kiss him, and sleep talk anyway.





	another dream

**Author's Note:**

> look, this has been sitting in my drafts for over a year and i finally got around to finishing it so !!! it's also the longest i've ever done so im q proud but also at the same time kinda...scared? pls do forgive me for any awkward pacing or wording or basically anything, it's my first fic in a long while and exams may have fried my brain sdjfksdk
> 
> hope u enjoy! <3

The apartment isn’t anything fancy enough to brag about, really; but it’s beautifully wide and spacious and  _ amazing _ for four barely-functioning adults. On the other hand, it’s still homey enough that Wonwoo sprawls out on the new couch, shoving his face abruptly into the soft fabric.

 

It’s surprisingly comfortable. He closes his eyes, trying to block out his pounding headache. Beside him, Seungcheol and Mingyu are sprawled out on the sofa, yelling at each other as they play (yet another) video game. 

 

“What the— Kim Mingyu!” Seungcheol yells. The tinny sound of an explosion goes off.

 

“Kiss my ass,” Mingyu retorts proudly. Wonwoo can practically hear the smile in his voice.

 

“Language!” Jeonghan calls out from the kitchen.

 

If this was any other situation, Wonwoo would laugh together with Mingyu and join in the game, but no, he gets to face-palm the couch instead. The dramatic sound effects do nothing to drown out the very, very loud thoughts in Wonwoo’s head, and his skin feels like it’s on fire. (Albeit the mild flicker of a flame, but  _ fuck _ does it hurt.)

 

Which brings him to the problem at hand.

 

The thing about being an incubi— or more accurately, a siren-incubi mix because of parentage and mixed genes, is that hunger is  _ fucking painful _ . Imagine starving, but a hundred times worse. 

 

(It’s a very literal sense of hungering for love, which means he and Soonyoung have already exhausted every single pun possibly about it. He starts to think that maybe this is the heavenly punishment for that one time when they made Jisoo laugh so hard he fell off a chair.)

 

The pain doesn’t subside until he kisses someone— which is very, very anti-climatic as compared to having hot wild sex with someone but, hey, Wonwoo’s pretty fucking happy about not having to seduce people.

 

A usual cure, really, is to just convince Seungcheol or Mingyu to go to a nightclub with him, kiss exactly one(1) person, hide in the toilets (and ignore whoever’s fucking in the next cubicle), and then drag a drunk housemate back home. 

 

(Even if his introverted self hates it to hell and back, it’s the only thing that works right now. Having the other boys around helps him to calm his nerves a little, too. He still dreads it, but it gets better over time. Also he gets, like,  _ really really  _ good at kissing.)

 

It’s an embarrassing and vaguely unpleasant thing to do, but Wonwoo mostly escapes out of it unscathed, and if he’s really really lucky, he gets laid. It’s a pretty foolproof plan.

 

Well, it _ was _ foolproof, until one day Mingyu trips on the staircase, crashes into Wonwoo, and promptly causes him to break an ankle.

 

Right.

 

It’s Day Number Four of staying at home, but also Day Number Forty since he’s last kissed anyone, and well _ , honestly? _

 

“I want to die.” Wonwoo deadpans. His words are muffled by the sofa, but Seungcheol hears him anyway and sighs in response.

 

“Time of the month?” He asks. Wonwoo just groans in reply. That’s another shitty joke at his expense.

 

“Go out and seduce some people or something, cheer yourself up,” Seungcheol says long-sufferingly.

 

“I would, if I could walk without crutches,” Wonwoo grumbles to himself. Said crutches are lying flat on the floor next to him while he continues to face-palm the sofa. Mingyu pulls a face but doesn't turn away from the tv.

 

“I already said sorry a million times,” he whines. Wonwoo promptly throws a pillow at him.

 

“The offer is still up, if you want,” Seungcheol suggests, turning to wonwoo.

 

He grimaces. “What, to kiss one of you? I can’t destroy everyone’s friendships, you know.” 

 

(There’s the whole other problem of him being head-over-heels, stupidly in love with Kim Mingyu, but he doesn't have to admit that.)

 

“Jeonghan did it once already, remember?” Seungcheol teases. Wonwoo full-on winces at that memory. 

 

That had happened during his last year of uni, when he was drowning under deadlines and completely forgot to go out of the house for the almost 2 months. Jeonghan had knocked on the door to offer leftovers, but instead found Wonwoo curled up on the floor, gasping for air. It had not been pretty.

 

“I thought you would hate me after that,” Wonwoo reminisces thoughtfully. Mingyu snorts.

 

“They’re too couple-goals to do that.”

 

“Damn right!” Jeonghan calls out from the kitchen. Seungcheol smiles almost proudly at that.

 

(Wonwoo would fake-gag at this point, but he’s been envying them too much these days.)

 

“He wouldn't have done it if you hadn't been dying,” Seungcheol points out. “And he could do it again if you want.”

 

Wonwoo grimaces again. “I’ll figure it out somehow.”

 

Seungcheol looks unconvinced (which makes sense, considering Wonwoo’s tendency to avoid problems). His eyebrows are drawn together in an almost comical fashion as he tries to concentrate on the game, and yet show his disapproval about Wonwoo’s decisions in life.

 

Wonwoo sighs. “We can go clubbing tomorrow, if you want.”

 

“Really? But your leg isn’t fully healed yet,” Seungcheol frowns worriedly. Another explosion goes off on screen. 

 

“I’ll just use the crutches,” Wonwoo assures him.

 

“You’ll just be limping around sadly all night, though,” Mingyu points out.

 

“Maybe we can dress him up _especially_ handsomely,” Seungcheol offers. “Put up the fringe and give you some of Mingyu’s clothes.”

 

Wonwoo can't even find the energy in him to protest, so he just nods in reply. Seungcheol breaks out into a wide grin. He punches a fist into the air in exaggerated happiness, before promptly losing the game to Mingyu.

 

“Take that, hyung!” Mingyu crows. 

 

It hasn’t been that long since the four of them had moved into the apartment; long enough that they know which nightclubs are lgbt-friendly but short enough that only Jeonghan and Mingyu have jobs. 

 

Mingyu’s the only one with a stable job, however; working late hours at a restaurant down the road as a kitchen assistant (and sneaking food home in little plastic containers). Jeonghan, on the other hand, freelances as a web designer (and occasional tarot card reader), sketching up layouts in his sketchbook and spending worryingly large amounts of time in front of the computer.

 

It’s rare for all four of them to spend time together properly, but Mingyu takes holiday leave for christmas and Jeonghan finishes up the website for his last client, so here they are. 

 

It’s a lazy day; Mingyu makes breakfast, Wonwoo gets floated down to the living room (albeit one centimetre off the ground) because Jeonghan insists on helping him even if it means he almost pops a vein, and Seungcheol trashes (almost) all of them in various video games. 

 

It’s a good day.

 

“Does anyone want to go out for dinner? I don’t really feel like cooking,” Mingyu asks as the game reloads.

 

“We’re broke as fuck, dude,” Seungcheol chides, leaning his head onto Mingyu’s shoulder. Mingyu does the Puppy Eyes™. It’s not even directed towards Wonwoo, but his heart skips a beat.

 

“Ramen store near town?” Mingyu asks hopefully. Wonwoo hums in agreement, making himself comfortable on the sofa to watch as they start their next round.

 

Seungcheol shrugs. “Sure, why not. But you’re paying.”

 

“I got a tarot card reading at 8,” Jeonghan reminds them as he walks out into the living room and plops himself on Seungcheol’s lap.

 

“Alright, we’ll get some fries for you on the way home,” Seungcheol says, tangling his fingers into Jeonghan’s hair. He makes a noise of assent, and curls into Seungcheol. Something in the kitchen makes a worryingly loud sound.

 

“Waiting for it to boil?” Mingyu asks Jeonghan.

 

“Waiting for it to  _ bubble over,”  _ he corrects. Wonwoo resists the urge to roll his eyes.

 

The conversation trails off as all of them get too focused on the game to talk. mingyu gets his ass kicked, Jeonghan brings out a suspiciously fragrant drink for Wonwoo to drink (which he does, carefully), and they all spend their evening in the crowded ramen shop, laughing and joking in loud voices.

 

It’s a typical day, really, the kind that warms Wonwoo down to the bones at _how_ _fucking lucky_ he is. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, no big events, no nothing.

 

Until it is.

 

—

 

Preparing for bed when you’re using crutches is, quite frankly, a pain in the ass. Wonwoo curses as he stumbles over something on the floor. Again.

 

“You okay?” Mingyu asks worriedly. He’s in the midst of changing his shirt, skin golden and tanned and warm and generally just fucking  _ perfect _ , just like everything else about him.

 

Wonwoo makes a noise of reply, tearing his eyes away from Mingyu. His whole body still is still burning from the hunger, and when he looks in the mirror, there’s a bright flush creeping up his neck and lightly covering his cheeks. He sighs. It’s going to be a pain in the ass to deal with tomorrow. 

 

It doesn’t hurt as much now, after Jeonghan’s strange concoction of herbs that smelled like roses, but Wonwoo knows it won’t stay like this forever. Every second, every minute that he doesn’t kiss someone, the fire inside him grows and grows, until he goes crazy. It’s going to be even worse when he wakes up the next morning, he just knows it.

 

It’s almost midnight by the time they finish getting ready for bed, and settling into sleep comes easy to him. But the next thing he knows is being woken up without warning by someone shaking his shoulders roughly. He sits up with a groan, and belatedly realises he can’t see for shit.

 

“What the— Mingyu?” Wonwoo asks blearily into the darkness. His voice comes out scratchy and hoarse, but he feels someone shiver against him and  _ wait, what the fuck? _ His brain kicks into overdrive.

 

There’s a sudden burst of clarity and suddenly he feels everything at once: There’s knees bracketing him on both sides and hands on his shoulders and before Wonwoo can ask what the  _ ever-loving fuck _ is happening, Mingyu’s leaning forward, his face barely visible in the pale moonlight.

 

In the blink of an eye, all Wonwoo can feel is the softness of lips against his and a warm chest pressing against him, weighing him down, pinning him onto the bed. His heart is thumping loudly in his chest and the previous heat in his body turns into a fever running hot in his veins, burning him up like a wildfire.

 

Very, very loud alarm bells go off in Wonwoo’s head.

 

It would be a lot more pleasant of a feeling if: 1) Wonwoo had not literally just woken up and 2)  _ had properly consented to this. _ He reciprocates for a minute, eyes slipping shut, and a part of Wonwoo’s mind registers that Mingyu’s actually quite a good kisser, before he remembers that  _ oh yeah, he still has no idea what the fuck is going on. _

 

Mingyu’s stronger than him, heavier and broader, but Wonwoo manages to push him off somehow. Mingyu hits the floor with a loud  _ thump,  _ and Wonwoo winces.

 

“What was that?” he demands as Mingyu staggers back onto his feet. He looks as disorientated as Wonwoo feels.

 

There’s a few beats of (weirdly tense, almost nail-biting) silence before Mingyu speaks. 

 

“What happened?” He mumbles. “I heard someone singing and it sounded so beautiful and— Oh. Oh no, it’s happening again, isn’t it.”

 

Fuck.

 

—

 

The backstory goes like this: 

 

When Wonwoo doesn’t kiss anyone for too long and effectively almost starves himself to death, a very, very special mechanism kicks in. 

 

He starts singing. 

 

Blame the siren genes. (Thanks, mom.)

 

It’s a survival mechanism, really, just like any biology lesson would teach you, but it just means that he gets into shitty situations if he doesn’t figuratively eat. There’s been the occasional stranger when he fell asleep on the last train home, the awkward acquaintance at parties when he was too drunk to remember, but never like this. 

 

Never with someone he had spent late nights thinking about, never with someone he had spent birthday wishes and four-leaf clovers and stray eyelashes and shooting stars on.

 

Never with someone he loved.

 

—

 

Morning arrives in the form of sunlight blinding Wonwoo’s eyes when he wakes up. It’s rare for Wonwoo to get up early, content to sleep the day away until mid-afternoon, but he just couldn’t go back to sleep after what happened, so he just settles for tossing and turning, thoughts whirring in his mind.

 

There’s no more itch under his skin, no more hunger demanding to be satiated. Instead, there’s a warm feeling of satisfaction that curls up in his stomach, settling heavy and pleasant. It’s kinda fucked up, when Wonwoo rolls over and sees Mingyu in the bed opposite his, snoring away.

 

Mingyu had apologised over and over again with flailing hands and frantic eyes after he snapped out of the trance. Wonwoo had apologised back too, and it was all just very weird and awkward for both of them.

 

“We should talk about this tomorrow when we’re more awake,” Wonwoo had suggested, rubbing the sleep out his eyes, and Mingyu had agreed.

 

So there Wonwoo was, early morning light filtering in through the windows, watching the way it settles on the wall behind Mingyu’s bed, catching on his face. Yep. Totally not slightly creepy.

 

Mingyu’s alarm startles him out of his self-deprecating monologue. It’s obnoxiously loud, and Wonwoo quickly shuts his eyes as Mingyu groans and rolls over in bed. He can hear the sound of feet hit the floor, the sound of rushing water from the tap. It’s a while before the sounds fade away, replaced by the click of the door as it opens, then shuts again.

 

Wonwoo lies in bed longer, soaking up the early morning rays, before he hauls his ass out of bed and out the door.

 

“Where’s Mingyu?” he asks as he pads downstairs. Seungcheol’s curled up on the couch, still in oversized pyjamas and cartoon cat socks. There’s a stillness in the air that comes from the early morning, and Seungcheol’s yawn breaks it a little.

 

“He had work this morning,” he replies. 

 

“Oh.”

 

“Yeah, it was a last-minute call,” Seungcheol says absentmindedly, flipping a page of his book. Wonwoo shifts awkwardly from one foot to another.

 

“About the clubbing thing,” he starts. Seungcheol hums for him to continue.

 

“Ithinkwecancallitoff.” 

 

Seungcheol frowns, tilting up his head to look at Wonwoo. “why?” 

 

“The thing happened with Mingyu,” he sighs. 

 

“The...thing?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“What, you mean he finally worked up the balls to ask you out?” Seungcheol teases with a grin, and Wonwoo rolls his eyes. Maybe it was better to just this over with, as fast as possible.

 

“No, he kissed me,” he deadpans, and watches in amusement as Seungcheol nearly topples off his chair.

 

“What the fuck?” Seungcheol manages to choke out. 

 

“I started singing.”

 

“What— Oh fuck.”

 

Wonwoo sighs, and finally takes a seat on the couch,  settling his body weight on Seungcheol. There’s a little pause as he waits for him to register his words.

 

“You’re kinda fucked,” Seungcheol finally says. Wonwoo groans. Making himself comfortable, he settles his head on Seungcheol’s lap now, Seungcheol absentmindedly playing with his hair.

 

“When is he coming back?” Wonwoo asks.

 

“He didn’t say, but he sounded really frazzled. It’ll probably be late evening again, I bet,” Seungcheol replies. “Did you guys say anything after you kissed?”

 

Wonwoo shakes his head. “He just...apologised. We didn’t really say anything else.”

 

Seungcheol hums in understanding. “You’ll need to talk to him soon,” he warns. “Before you guys get stuck in some awkward loop forever.”

 

Wonwoo scrunches up his face. “No promises.” Jeon Wonwoo, dealing with his feelings in a healthy, rational way? Totally unheard of. 

 

“Just...don’t ignore it forever, okay?”

 

“I won’t.”

 

They settle into a comfortable silence, before Seungcheol speaks up again.

 

“You know he likes you, right?” Wonwoo’s heart quickens at his words. It’s a running joke among the four of them, about how Mingyu and Wonwoo are fated to be, just like Seungcheol and Jeonghan. 

 

“I’d love to hear it from Mingyu himself,” He snorts.

 

“Me, too.” Seungcheol sighs.

 

—

 

True to Seungcheol’s predictions, Mingyu comes home halfway through dinner time. Jeonghan’s recounting the time he had to program a website for a porn company and they wanted a mini dildo as the mouse cursor, and Wonwoo’s snorting out an ugly laugh when he hears the front door open.

 

“Honey, I’m home!” Mingyu’s voice calls out.

 

“That’s you,” Jeonghan pushes at Wonwoo’s shoulder.

 

“Mingyu! How was work?” Seungcheol asks with a smile. Mingyu grins back in reply. His clothes are rumpled, stinking of sweat and oil.

 

Wonwoo tunes out their conversation easily, opting to get up from his seat to clean up his own plate. Mingyu tries to make eye contact with him, and Wonwoo looks away quickly.  _ Later _ , he tries to tell him. _ I can’t bear to deal with my feelings for you right now. _

 

It’s not long before everyone retires to bed and Wonwoo finds himself in a familiar predicament again, only this time, it’s the silence that strikes him the most. The silence is stifling in his and Mingyu’s room, as Mingyu lies on his bed scrolling through his phone, and Wonwoo’s pretending to read a book when he’s actually trying to ignore the pounding of his heart.

 

“So—” He starts, and Mingyu yelps, quickly locking his phone.

 

“What were you looking at?” Wonwoo asks suspiciously, and Mingyu shakes his head, sitting up in bed to face him.

 

“Nothing! What were you going to say?” He asks.

 

Wonwoo closes his book. No point in trying to pretend anymore. “We should probably talk about what happened yesterday.”  _ That sounds like an innuendo _ , his brain helpfully supplies.  _ Shut the fuck up _ , Wonwoo tells it.

 

To his surprise, Mingyu’s cheeks redden. “I’m really, really sorry,” he starts. “It’s my fault for not realising that you were in that much pain and I really should have helped you earlier and—”

 

“Stop apologising, it’s fine,” Wonwoo cuts him off. “Besides, it’s solved for the time being now. I just wanted to make sure nothing’s changed between us or anything.”

 

“Oh, of course.” Were his eyes playing tricks on him, or did Wonwoo just see Mingyu’s face fall slightly? “I wouldn’t want to make things awkward behind us, that would be hell,” Mingyu continues.

 

“So, no hard feelings?” Wonwoo offers.

 

“Absolutely not,” Mingyu smiles, setting off butterflies in Wonwoo’s stomach. Wonwoo mirrors his grin.

 

Mingyu flicks off the lights and almost trips on his way back to bed, and Wonwoo snickers. Just when he’s about to drift off to sleep, Mingyu speaks up into the darkness.

 

“Are you sure we’re okay? I kinda did a dick move, it’s totally alright if you hate me or anything.” His voice is softer than usual, hushed.

 

“Of course. I could never hate you,” Wonwoo replies firmly. If only Mingyu knew how true that sentence really was.

 

“Promise?”

 

“Promise.”

 

Wonwoo waits patiently for a reply, but he’s met with silence.

—  

 

He wakes up even earlier the next morning, when the sky is still pitch-black and Mingyu’s soft snores fill the air. Stretching slightly, he groans and rolls over to his side. His bladder is full but he’s going to ignore it, fucking hell.

 

Wonwoo’s still debating whether or not to get out of bed when he first hears it. 

 

“Chop those veggies faster.” Mingyu mumbles unintelligibly. Wonwoo freezes instantly.

 

“...What?” He sits up automatically, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He’s much more awake now, trying to peer at Mingyu through the darkness, but to no avail. 

 

All that he gets in reply is, “The customers are waiting, quick! We’re going to go bankrupt!” Mingyu’s voice gets increasingly louder as he grows more panicked, and Wonwoo can’t help barking out a laugh.

 

“Are you sleeptalking?”

 

“I’m stressing out!” Wonwoo distantly recalls Mingyu’s late shift last night, and winces. Trust Mingyu to ignore his feelings because he doesn’t want to bother the rest of them, and then having these feelings manifested in the strangest way.

 

“Okay, calm down.”  _ God, what has his life come to? _   Wonwoo resorts to playing along. “We just served them their food, everything’s under control.”

 

“Wait, really?”

 

“Yes, really.” He resists the urge to smile, and fails spectacularly.

 

“Oh.” Mingyu goes quiet, and the blankets shift as he shuffles around in his sleep. “Do you think I can get paid more for this?” 

 

Wonwoo almost trips from laughter as he makes his way to the bathroom.

 

— 

 

It’s easy for Wonwoo to keep secrets, and this one is no different. He’s never heard Mingyu sleep-talk, rarely hears him even  _ snore _ , so he’s positive it isn’t going to happen again.

 

But it does.

 

Again, and again.

 

Over the course of the next few weeks, Wonwoo gets subjected to what may have been the weirdest conversations he’s ever had with Mingyu. In the daytime, they still talk and bicker as normal as any other day, but in the midst of the night, Wonwoo listens as Mingyu rambles on endlessly about the strangest of things.

 

He’s taken to reading before going to bed, and it’s easy to tell Mingyu that he’s going to stay up to finish another chapter when he’s really just staying up to hear Mingyu talk in his sleep. It puts a fresh new spin on Wonwoo’s perception of him, really.

 

Conversations with sleeping Mingyu have ranged from the mundane (“There’s a fly on the window!”) to the questionable (“Hyung, I think I broke another refrigerator”) to the outright weird (“If aliens were among us and haven't declared war yet, they’re either waiting for the perfect thing to strike or they just want to live peacefully with us, there’s no in-between”).

 

“Mingyu’s sleep-talking?” Jeonghan suddenly asks him when the two of them are eating lunch. It’s a gorgeous day outside, and Jeonghan had practically pulled him to a window seat at the cafe before ordering for the both of them. Wonwoo casts another glance at the beautiful view, before replying, “Yeah, he is. How did you know?”

 

Jeonghan scoffs. “He took an afternoon nap yesterday when you were away at the library. I went into your room to look for my socks, and he was mumbling about shiba inus in his sleep.” Wonwoo snorts.

 

“Sounds like him, alright. He’s been sleep-talking ever since...you know.”

 

“After his first kiss with you?” Jeonghan raises his eyebrows suggestively, and Wonwoo kicks him under the table.

 

“You know what I mean. Do you think it’s going to affect him negatively or anything?” Wonwoo asks worriedly. He thinks about how busy Mingyu’s job has been lately, and how hellish it would be if his health starts to suffer as well.

 

Jeonghan waves a dismissive hand. “Nah, I’m certain it’s just a side-effect from the kiss. I sleep-talked for months afterwards too. Seungcheol complained for  _ so _ long, you have no idea.”

 

Wonwoo frowns. “You’ve never told me about this?”

 

“I was going to, but every time I came around to your dorm you were napping, so I just forgot about it.” Jeonghan shrugs. “It’s not really important, and you needed the sleep anyway.”

 

Wonwoo leans back onto his seat. “...Huh. Are you sure he’s going to be fine though? He’s human and you’re a literal witch, after all.”

 

“It might take him longer to stop the habit, especially since he’s working so much nowadays, but he should be fine,” Jeonghan assures him. “If it worsens, I can probably find a spell of some sort to help him.”

 

“You don’t know one already?” Wonwoo asks, amused.

 

“People don’t ask me to cure sleep talking, dude. It’s usually demonic possession.”

 

“Oh yeah, I forgot you did those too.”

 

They sit in comfortable silence for a while, both revelling in the quiet. It’s rare for the both of them to have time to talk alone, and Wonwoo treasures it dearly.

 

Along with the whole kissing-someone-or-literally-die thing that Wonwoo’s inherited from his half-incubus father, his siren lineage from his mother has given much stronger magical abilities. 

 

Diluted as his abilities are, they only manifested in university, and that was how he had met Jeonghan in the first place. Jeonghan had tapped him on the shoulder during a lecture, claiming something about “untapped magic that I could  _ smell _ from across the room”, and well, the rest of it is history.

 

Sitting across jeonghan in the cafe now, Wonwoo ventures, “I tried that crystal ball you gave me the other day.”

 

Jeonghan immediately perks up. “How was it? Did you see anything?” He shifts in his seat, leaning in closer.

 

“Not...much? Just some really vague symbols.”

 

“Like what?” Jeonghan presses.

 

“A...harp?” Wonwoo shrugs. “I’m just as confused as you are.” 

 

Jeonghan sits up straighter. “It could symbolise music, or harmony, or— Oh. Wonwoo, my sweet sweet child, it’s a symbol of love.”

 

Wonwoo leans back in his seat. “Fuck.” 

 

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” Jeonghan wiggles his brows.

 

Wonwoo groans into his hands. “Other than the fact that I’m  _ still _ crushing on Mingyu, no.”

 

“Who knows, it might not be one-sided, after all,” Jeonghan grins. Wonwoo just sighs in reply.

 

“Don’t count on it.”

 

— 

 

Wonwoo’s having a stare-off with the crystal ball when Mingyu walks into their shared room later that day. Mingyu takes one look at Wonwoo sitting at the desk and lets out a soft laugh. “Good evening to you too, Sabrina the Teenage Witch.”

 

Wonwoo snorts, but doesn’t lift his gaze from the crystal ball. It’s been infuriatingly cloudy since the last time he’s used it, and he needs to know what that symbol meant,  _ dammit.  _ “How was work?” He cringes internally at how domestic that sounded.

 

“I nearly splashed the chef with hot oil, but other than that, it was fine,” Mingyu shrugs. He gets closer ‘til he’s leaning over Wonwoo, settling his head on Wonwoo’s shoulder and peering over at the crystal ball. “What are you doing?”

 

“I can’t get it to clear up.” Wonwoo  _ absolutely  _ does not blush at their close proximity. “It has to be free of any murkiness before I can use it again.”

 

“Isn’t it just—“ Mingyu cuts himself off, and reaches out to brush a hand across the surface of the crystal ball.

 

“Hey—” Wonwoo begins, and he stares in amazement as Mingyu brushes off a layer of dust and grime from the crystal ball, revealing a clear, shiny surface underneath. “Oh.”

 

Mingyu leans back and laughs loudly. “Fuck, how long have you been staring at that thing?” Wonwoo feels a hot flush of embarrassment creep up his neck. 

 

“Well, fuck you too,” he grumbles, polishing the rest of the crystal ball.

 

“Gladly.” Mingyu winks. Wonwoo doesn’t hesitate to roll his eyes, smiling fondly all the same.

 

His excuse for staying up late this time is to charge up the crystal ball, which is half-true. Who knows how much of the charge will last ‘til the time he uses it tomorrow, but in the meantime, Wonwoo gazes into the (now shinier) crystal ball and tries to meditate.

 

“You have to sleep earlier, you know,” Mingyu says worriedly.

 

Wonwoo snorts. “Says the one that’s been coming home at like 8 every day.”

 

“...Fair point. I’m getting paid more, anyway. Just don’t stay up too late, you know?”

 

“Of course.” wonwoo promises, and Mingyu smiles back.

 

Mingyu only ever starts sleep talking when he’s in a deep sleep, but today, Wonwoo hears nothing from him. Mingyu tosses and turns, but remains silent. Wonwoo’s about to get up and start preparing to go to bed, when he first hears it.

 

“Like him.” The words are soft, barely audible, but they make Wonwoo freeze in his footsteps.

 

“What?” 

 

“Don’t you think he’s cute?” Mingyu’s rambling now, voice returning to a normal speaking volume. “I like him so, so much, what do I do?”

 

“W-what?” Wonwoo’s heart drops.  _ Of course.  _ Of course Mingyu already liked someone. Mingyu’s sweet and kind and everything Wonwoo’s ever wanted and  _ of course of fucking course—  _

 

“Do you think Wonwoo likes me back?” Mingyu’s voice drops back to an exaggerated whisper. “I really, really wanna confess to him. What if I get rejected? What if our friendship gets destroyed forever?” He ends dramatically.

 

Wonwoo can barely hear him over the pounding of his heart. Mingyu...likes him. Mingyu actually likes him. There’s a giddy, fizzy feeling in his chest, and he lets out a giggle at the feeling. Is it just him, or is there a chorus of angels singing?

 

“Why are you laughing?” Mingyu whines, scrunching up his face. “It’s not funny! What if he never wants to be my friend again?”

 

“He won’t, he won’t,” Wonwoo hurries to assure him. His cheeks still feel hot. “You should go for it.”

 

“Really?” Mingyu asks hopefully. Wonwoo can’t help but grin.

 

“Really. You should take the leap.”

 

“You’re right, I should be confident about this. I can do it!” Mingyu all but practically shouts. Wonwoo says nothing in reply. If anyone saw him right now, he would probably still be blushing like a tomato. God, was he supposed to tell the others tomorrow? 

 

“Do you think he believes in aliens too?” Mingyu wonders. “He has to, right? If planet earth has magic then aliens must be real too! Aliens are among us and he would be a damn fool not to know the truth…” He continues to ramble.

 

Wonwoo listens patiently, smiling foolishly the whole time.

 

— 

 

“You seem to be a good mood,” Seungcheol muses when Wonwoo pads down the stairs the next day. “ I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile so early in the day before.”

 

“Call me out, why don’t you,” Wonwoo shoots back. Seungcheol rolls his eyes.

 

“No but seriously, what’s gotten you so happy today? I’m obligated to know as your honorary dad friend.” He sits up on the couch, book set face-down on his lap.

 

“Not much, it just feels like it’s going to be a good day, you know?” Wonwoo shrugs. His mind replays back the events of last night, and his heart flutters.

 

“...Right. And you expect me not to interrogate you more.”

 

“Absolutely.”

 

Seungcheol narrows his eyes. “I’ll drop it for now. Where’s Mingyu, anyway?”

 

“He’s still sleeping.”

 

“At 1pm in the afternoon?” Seungcheol frowns.

 

“He’s probably knocked out from working so much,” Wonwoo reasons. “He really needs the sleep.”

 

“Yeah, he does,” Seungcheol agrees. “By the way, any progress on your romance?”

 

Wonwoo tries to look nonchalant. “Nope, I’m going to give up, I think.”

 

“Really?” Seungcheol looks unconvinced. “You’ve liked him since forever. You’re sitting on a throne of lies, dude.” 

 

“Yeah, yeah.”  _ Mingyu better confess soon _ , Wonwoo thinks to himself.

 

His hopes wane as the day continues. Mingyu wakes up an hour later, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he heads to the kitchen. Wonwoo’s joined Seungcheol on the couch to reread one of his favourite books, and he receives nothing more than a small wave from Mingyu before he opens the fridge. He tries not to feel disappointed, _ dammit. _

 

Maybe last night was just a fluke, Wonwoo tries to reason with himself. Maybe Mingyu was just rambling and didn’t mean any of it, or he just didn’t remember saying anything. Most people don’t remember their dreams, right? Right. There’s no need to get his hopes up for no reason.

 

Mingyu practically ignores him for the rest of the day, where he disappears back into their shared room and doesn’t come out till dinner. When Wonwoo checks in on him, he’s curled up in bed with his laptop with a pillow clutched to his chest.

 

“What are you watching?” Wonwoo asks curiously. Mingyu startles, and then smiles when he looks at Wonwoo. 

 

“Spirited away. Wanna join?” Wonwoo nods. He crawls into the space beside Mingyu, and Mingyu pulls a blanket over the both of them. Wonwoo marvels at how perfectly they fit against each other, then mentally slaps himself. 

 

The room is dark and quiet, with nothing but the sound of the movie filling the air, and the glow of the laptop screen casting shadows behind them. Wonwoo makes the mistake of looking over Mingyu, because he can’t look away. Even after knowing Mingyu for so long, he’s still starstruck by the way the light catches on his features, highlighting the curve of his jawline, the slant of his eyebrows. Wonwoo’s breath hitches slightly.

 

And in that moment, he’s hit with a rush of confidence.  _ Oh, to hell with it, _ Wonwoo thinks to himself. He’s sick of tiptoeing around any longer.

 

“Hey, can I tell you something?” he asks quietly. Mingyu turns to shush him, but when he sees the look on Wonwoo’s face, he pauses. He puts the movie on pause, turning his entire attention on Wonwoo.

 

“Of course. what’s wrong?” He asks worriedly. “I know we haven’t talked much lately, and I’m sorry if I did anything to piss you off or—”

 

“No, no, everything’s fine between us! It’s just—. I’m just—. I—” He cuts himself off with a frustrated sigh. Adrenaline’s pumping through his veins so quickly that it makes it hard for him to think, to act, heart racing in his chest.

 

“You okay?” Mingyu asks.

 

“I am, just— ” Wonwoo finally gives up. Sitting up straighter, he leans closer to Mingyu, close enough that he can feel Mingyu’s breath on his face, sees Mingyu’s eyes widen. “Is this okay?” he whispers, trying not to break the moment that stands still between the two of them.

 

“More than okay,” Mingyu breathes out, curling a hand around the back of Wonwoo’s neck, and finally, finally closes the gap between them.

 

Mingyu’s lips are soft, tasting distantly of the lip gloss that he always wears. It’s sweet and soft and Wonwoo’s heart quickens rapidly in his chest. It feels like the best kiss he’s ever had, better than anything that he’s ever daydreamed of, and Wonwoo can’t help it when he lets out a soft sigh that has Mingyu smiling into the kiss.

 

“Stop smiling like an idiot,” Wonwoo complains, breaking the kiss. “I’m going to kiss your teeth.”

 

“At least I brushed my teeth today,” Mingyu grins back at him. His cheeks are flushed, mouth reddened under the dim computer lighting, and Wonwoo immediately decides that it’s his favourite view.

 

“Wait, so what— what does this make us?” Mingyu asks, breaking Wonwoo out of his thoughts. Wonwoo’s arms are still looped around Mingyu’s neck, and he blushes again at the thought.

 

“...Boyfriends, maybe?” Wonwoo replies hesitantly. Mingyu breaks out into an even wider smile, stunning him momentarily before he gathers his thoughts again. 

 

“Sounds good,” Mingyu replies, and he nestles his face into the crook of Wonwoo’s neck. “Sounds very, very good. Actually, scratch that. Sounds like the best thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”

 

“Sap.” Wonwoo grumbles, but he leans in for another kiss anyway. To his surprise, Mingyu suddenly lifts him up gently by the thighs, before setting him down so that Wonwoo’s straddling him.

 

“What— what about the movie?” He stutters, flustered. Mingyu just slams down the laptop, pushing it off to the side.

 

“I’ve found much more interesting things to do,” he smirks, closing the gap between them again, and again, and again.

 

(And well, if the laptop falls off the bed later and makes Seungcheol let out a shout of surprise from the living room, it doesn’t matter as much to Wonwoo as the way Mingyu looks after a make-out session, flustered and blushing hard.)

**Author's Note:**

> aaaand that's all folks! im still iffy about the weird/abrupt ending but i can't think of any way to work around it so :(( it's been a while since ive been active in the svt fandom, so pls do forgive me if they seem ooc! any and all constructive criticism is appreciated, i would rly rly love some! kudos and comments and bookmarks are always always appreciated as well<333 thank you so much for reading!
> 
> u can also hmu on tumblr @joydecoy !!


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